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The Rival
'''The Rival '''is the sixth chapter of Go Nagai's manga series Devilman Lady. Story Late at night, two sewer workers are making their rounds in the underground tunnels when they come across the bodies of three women in the water, torn up and mutilated as if they had been eaten by a shark or alligator. Shortly after Jun Fudo and Lan Asuka hear of the murders and begin to investigate. Lan tells Jun the bodies came from Toriton Sports Club, and the next morning, Jun goes undercover. Taking a lap in the large indoor pool of Toriton's, Jun is approached by two former students of hers, Chihiro Shimura and Mizuho Nishikawa. The three reminisce about old times before being approached by Aoi Kurosaki, Jun's former swimming rival. The other girls depart as Aoi greets Jun aggressively. She chastises Jun and calls her a coward before leaving. In the showers however, a very different Aoi is seen as she leans against the wall in anguish. She laments their prior rivalry and worries if she would challenge her again. As she worries a mouth with sharp fangs appears on her chest and urges her to kill Jun, which Aoi screams at, ordering it to be silent. She collapses and has a flashback to her youth, to the time her step-father had sexually abused her as a child. In the steam rooms, she further laments her youth and growing up. How her mother had ignored the abuse at her step-fathers hands. How she had joined the school gym to work out and become more physically fit in order to try and defend herself. It was at this time she both developed her passion for swimming and her Devil Beast persona began to manifest itself as another personality. Meanwhile, Lan approaches Jun during a tennis lesson and calls her over. Lan informs Jun that their investigations pointed towards Aoi being the killer. Lan tells Jun a little about the circumstances and mentioned how her second father had died at sea, ushering a flashback transition to the event. A younger Aoi tricks her step-father to follow her out into the sea, where she transformed and devoured him. The next day the body was found mutilated on a beach, bloodied and missing several limbs. That night, as Jun soothes herself in the bath in preparation for Aoi's capture or execution, she thinks back to a pivotal race in her former swimming career, which she ended up loosing. Shortly after Jun arrives at Toriton's and begins to swim, waiting for Aoi's arrival. She meets Mizuho and Chihiro again and they tell her Aoi would likely arrive around midnight. At the golden hour, Aoi swims nude in the pool, semi-transformed before sitting on the pool-side. She thinks back to her first meeting with Jun, and realises how she fell in love with her almost instantly, the mouth on her chest teasing her for it. The mouth goes on to twist her words and thoughts, and tries to urge her to rape Jun, but she ignores it, and stays focused on training herself for the chance to beat Jun a second time should the event ever arise. Though the mouth only further taunts her. Overhearing the argument, Jun arrives and calmly calls Aoi out. Aoi tries to warn Jun away as she begins to cry, and cowers over, trying to cover her chest. Jun confronts her on the murders and Aoi protests her innocence only for the mouth to gleefully admit to the killing. The mouth goes on to tell Jun about her humiliation at the hands of her father and abuse, at the same time growing larger and transforming into a colossal shark-like thing. The creature attacks Jun as Aoi tries to pull herself away and Lan and several H.A. Troopers burst in through the doors. Aoi pulls away fully, separating her body form that of the Devil Beasts. The creature pulls Jun underwater and she transforms, the two battle in the large pool and she tears of the creatures jaw, killing it. Kurosaki is taken into care and Lan comforts Jun, with the latter wishing that she could one day return to being a normal human. Characters * Jun Fudo * Aoi Kurosaki * Aoi's Other Self * Lan Asuka * Mrs. Kurosaki * Aoi's Step-Father * Chihiro Shimura * Mizuho Nishikawa Category:Chapters Category:Devilman Lady Chapters Category:Devilman Lady (Manga)